Numbers are back up for Whales: Wooster swim club looking for return to MOSL dominance

By ANDREW VOGELSports WriterPublished: June 21, 2014 4:00AM

WOOSTER -- The Wooster Whales know that swimming is a numbers game and it's been the key to their success for over three decades.

With over 100 swimmers, the Whales should again have more numbers than every other squad in the Mid-Ohio Swim League and it should help propel them back into first place.

Since the inception of the MOSL more than 30 years ago, the Whales had finished first in every season -- until last year. In 2014, the Green YMCA Barracudas came up with 1,831.5 points, ahead of the Whales' total of 1,444. Wooster coach Rob Harrington said a great part of that was numbers. For once Wooster didn't have the biggest roster -- Green did and it helped propel the Barracudas to their first MOSL title. The good news for the Whales, sponsored by the Wooster YMCA, is they should be back over 100 swimmers this summer and that will make a huge difference at the MOSL meet.

"Our numbers are improved and it's pretty exciting," Harrington said. "Last year Green had greater numbers and a major reason we fell short was we didn't have the numbers."

Last year the Whales had around 80 on the roster, which is still twice as many as most of the teams in the MOSL, which consists of nine squads. However, the Whales are accustomed to having at least 100 and Harrington said consistency with the YMCA's winter program, led by aquatics coordinator and head swim coach Matt Chelf, has led to better numbers this summer.

Of course, Harrington, who works with assistant coaches Chris Matthew and Chelf, also points out that while putting together a winning team is certainly a nice by-product, the main philosophy of the program is to get younger athletes involved in swimming and give instruction to more advanced swimmers. The Whales have a wide-range of abilities, from standout varsity swimmers to those who are learning to swim for the very first time. During practices, advanced swimmers practice from 7:30-9:30 a.m., with the intermediate group swimming from 9:30-11 and beginners in the pool from 9:30-10:30.

"The novice kids learn the most basic skills, so we get them excited about swimming, but also teach them the fundamentals," Harrington said. "We try to provide an environment where kids can get the best coaching to improve on an individual level. We have kids who want to swim, compete and succeed and that plays into our success."

Harrington also points out that he not only has motivated swimmers, but an incredibly supportive community and booster club. This is especially on display during the Freedlander Meet, held at Freedlander Pool, which traditionally brings in teams from all over the Midwest and this year will held June 27-29.

It's also no coincidence that the Whales have enjoyed sustained success at the same time that Wooster High's program has flourished. Many of the Generals' current standouts started swimming as youngsters with the Whales.

"It's definitely a feeder program for the high school," Harrington said. "All the kids who are successful have swum club for us at some point in their careers. It's a starting point."

One new aspect for the Whales this year will be a diving program, led by Lizzie Wagoner, who graduated from WHS last spring and will dive at Ohio University next winter. Right now the program has about 20 divers, many of whom are also swimmers, and the idea is to serve as a feeder system for the Generals' diving program.

"We want to do everything we can to help aquatics," Harrington said.

Andrew Vogel can be reached at 330-287-1624 or avogel@the-daily-record.com. Follow him on Twitter at @andvogel.